Atlanta Rug Show Briefs

The Milliken Claire Murray Wool collection launched with 10 botanical and Cape Cod-inspired designs by Claire Murray. A 5'7" x 7'8" is set to retail for $349.

The machine-made collection marks milestones for both companies. It is the first licensed program for Milliken Rugs and the first licensed program of this kind in area rugs for Murray.

Murray said the collection "is a real departure for me." It targets upscale boutiques, department and specialty stores, as well as catalogs.

Orian Rugs and Creston Carpets will now co-market their products at more than 30,000 independent flooring stores across the United States.

Orian created the Calypso collection of polypropylene area rugs made here at headquarters exclusively for that channel, said David Starr, national sales manager for the Calypso Collection. Vista, Odyssey and Midas represent good, better, best, respectively. Price points range from $129 to $299 for a 5' x 8'.

Oriental Weavers of America has signed a purchase agreement for a building near its Dalton, GA headquarters, said Traci Powell, director of sales support.

With occupancy slated for early spring, the new site will house the company's distribution center and finishing department. Currently, OWA operates the divisions from a rented space nine miles away.

OWA also launched a new rug collection titled Florent, in honor of Paul D'huyvetter, OWA's former senior vp who died last November.

The Florent collection — Florent was D'huyvetter's middle name — is made of 100 percent nylon, a fabrication "he just loved," Powell said, and is available in 30 patterns. A 6' x 9' will retail for $199.

One year after it launched its licensed Calvin Klein rug program, Nourison showed the first additions to the line.

Bringing the total number of rugs in the collection to 38, the company added two patterns to the hand-tufted wool and silk category and two new designs to the Tibetan weave category. The former represents the mid-price level of the entire Calvin Klein rug line, with a suggested retail of $2,350 for a 6' x 9'. The latter is the line's highest-end offering, set to retail for $3,100.

For the three other Calvin Klein rug categories, suggested retail price points for a 6' x 9' are hand-woven flat-weaves, $550; power-looms, $925; and hand-knotted wool-and-silks, $2,650.

Making a strong Southwestern statement for its specialty and high-end markets, Capel launched a line hand-woven by Navajo indians in New Mexico.

The hand-dyed collection, composed of 10 designs made of 100 percent wool, carries a hefty price point of $1,000 for a 27" x 48" and $2,000 for a 42" x 66".

Supporting the line, Capel introduced two similar but more affordable collections: Zapotec, made in Mexico, and Mesa, made in India. These hand-knotted wool varieties carry a $450 retail price tag for a 5' x 8'.

Burlington Rug Corp. debuted its 3,800-square-foot showroom on the fourth floor of the AmericasMart. The new space is about three times the size of its former space on the sixth floor.

The company also introduced its new two-million-point rug collection, which is made in Belgium. It is set to retail for $399.